Zach Galifianakis Gets Serious on ‘America Divided’

Those who are used to seeing Zach Galifianakis hosting his satirical show “Between Two Ferns” or playing eccentric comic characters in movies like “The Hangover” series might be surprised to see the actor in his new role on “America Divided”.

The EPIX docuseries “America Divided” explores the issues of inequality and division that are plaguing America today, and they recruit respected actors, producers, and musicians (such as Rosario Dawson, Common, and Norman Lear) to investigate instances of injustice across the country.

In one of the latest episodes, Zach Galifianakis goes back to his North Carolina hometown to discover an intensely polarized community thanks in part to wealthy donors’ campaign contributions that influence politicians to work against the common interest of the people. North Carolina has actually become an important swing state in this year’s roller-coaster of an election, partly due to its booming Hispanic population and changing demographics.

Galifianakis is shown talking to the formerly Republican and generally disillusioned father of an autistic man, who was denied adequate medical care thanks to a bill passed with the cooperation of politicians and insurance companies.

The series itself is highly rated and exposes problems that Americans from all walks of life are facing today. Watch Galifianakis’ episode in North Carolina and the rest on EPIX.

The biggest takeaway from the clip above is that political polarization and tribalism has ruined common sense laws and legislation; as Galifianakis and his interviewee state, “no matter if you’re left-y or right-y, we’re all human.”